Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $774 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$774

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliven and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sliven and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $774 per month in Sliven vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Sliven $774
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,228 per month in Sliven vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Sliven $1,228
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,681 per month in Sliven vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Sliven $1,681
Budapest $3,429

Sliven is about 52% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sliven sits 43% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 BGN 20.24

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-16.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.58 BGN 58.4

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-45.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 BGN 17.63

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-43.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.15

$2.14 Ft 690

-42.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$1.78 Ft 577

-47.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 BGN 3.91

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-40.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$1.15 Ft 371

32.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.41

$1.79 Ft 578

-54.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 BGN 4.64

$2.49 Ft 804

6.83%

Eggs

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-45.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 BGN 13.86

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-28.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 BGN 9.64

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 BGN 11.69

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-54.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.53

$1.83 Ft 591

-20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 BGN 2.78

$2.05 Ft 661

-21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 BGN 2.42

$2.37 Ft 765

-41.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 BGN 3.79

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-44.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 BGN 0.88

$0.99 Ft 320

-49.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$1.00 Ft 322

-17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.84

$1.58 Ft 511

-32.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 BGN 0.86

$0.67 Ft 216

-25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 BGN 6.18

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-55.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 BGN 10.58

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 BGN 1.82

$1.27 Ft 411

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 BGN 2.13

$2.03 Ft 654

-39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 BGN 1.14

$1.52 Ft 490

-56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.36 BGN 61.5

$28.02 Ft 9,053

26.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 BGN 1.93

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-66.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 BGN 1.00

$1.37 Ft 442

-57.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.31 BGN 14.46

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-58.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BGN 2.66

$1.82 Ft 589

-15.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.5K BGN 53.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

2.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.9K BGN 38.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-35.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$84.8 BGN 148

$171 Ft 55.3K

-50.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.02 BGN 34.83

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.07 BGN 15.79

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-61.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.19 BGN 40.35

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-65.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.79

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-39.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$500 BGN 869

$533 Ft 172.3K

-6.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,332 BGN 11.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-62.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 BGN 97.8

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-43.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.74 BGN 39.57

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-47.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 BGN 117

$110 Ft 35.7K

-39.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.1 BGN 108

$119 Ft 38.4K

-47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 BGN 401

$830 Ft 268.3K

-72.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 BGN 248

$622 Ft 200.9K

-77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 BGN 570

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-79.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 BGN 451

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-77.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,121 BGN 1,951

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-80.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$918 BGN 1,596

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-76.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,335 BGN 2,323

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-19.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.85

6.45

-55.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sliven: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Sliven

$181 23.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 42.8% $77

Eating Out

Sliven

$168 21.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 33.1% $55

Accommodation & Living

Sliven

$142 18.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 337% $480

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliven

$114 14.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 91.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Sliven

$94 12.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 78.8% $74

Getting Around

Sliven

$42 5.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 5.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sliven

$34 4.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 150% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $230 in Sliven versus $830 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Sliven versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $258 – making Sliven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sliven

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

1 h behind Sliven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,806

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sliven Budapest 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sliven
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sliven vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,162 per month in Sliven and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sliven, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Sliven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $500 per month in Sliven and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sliven, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sliven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sliven – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sliven. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.